Rotary-valve mechanism.



F. E. HARPST.

ROTARY VALVE MECHANISM.

ABPLlcATmN FILED MAY 1B, 1914.

mallteam@ 8,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTUH/VE i Y [rrr sanitarias Houstomin the county of Harris .and Stateeratively connected with amechani'sm whichA meines..

E. HAR/PST, 01E' HOU'STGN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF'T'WENTY-FIVE ONE- W. O.ILFR-EY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 1S, 1914. Serial No. 839,292.

T all whom t may concern."

Be it known that 1,. FREDERICK E. l-l'Anrsrr, a. citizen' of the UnitedStates, residing at of Texas, have'invented certain new and usefulImprovements in otary-Valve Mechanism, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements' in rotary valvemechanism.

The. object of the invention is to provide i a valve ofthe characterdescribed, adapted to be used in connection with the cylinder vof aninternal combustion engine, for -the purpose of regulating the intakeofA the charge, and the exhaust after the explosion of said charge. s

'Another object of the invention resides inv tlie provision of' a hollowrotary valve having intake or exhaust ports adapted to register withcorresponding intake or exhaust ports of the cylinder, said'valve beingopimparts 'an oscillating' movement thereto as which the valve rotates,said.intake or exhaust ports being formed at such an angle relative tothe to prolong the full axis of valve-rotationas opening of said ports:I

A still. further feature of the inventionz resides in the'provision of apressure plate, artially surrounds the valve and holds t e same vagainstits seat, lsaid plate being heldl resiliently against the valve, bymeans of a pneumatic cushion.n

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision ofmeans whereby the pneumatic pressure against said plate may be readilycontrolled.

With the above and other objects in view,

Vas will be more specifically pointedout here-4 inafter, the inventionhas' particular relation to certain novel features of construction,operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, l

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section .thrhngh a cylinder head,showing avalve i chamber and a rotary valve therein, and' Fig. y2 is atransverse vertical sectional view thereof.

Referring now more particularly ,to the drawings, wherein like numeralsof reference' designate similar parts in each of the A and the .valves 8and 9 may also figures, the numerals 1' and 2 refer, respectively, totwo cylinders of an engine, having the cylinder head 3. This head hasthe' parallel lengthwise extending valve chambers 4 and 5. The bottom ofthese chambers are formed into seam 6 and 7, arcuate in cross section,whereon rotates the hollow cylindrical'valves 8 and 9. Each valve visheld agamst its seat by means of the ,pressure plate 10, formed ofhollowv casting' and which extends from endo to endand side to side ofits valve chamber and which has a limited vertical movement therein, ashereinafter explained. The under side of the pressure forming a'seat 11which rests upon the corresponding valve.` Each with two oppositelydisposed ports, as l2, near one end: and two oppositely disposed ports,as 13, near the other end, said ports being formed at an angle to theaxis .of rotaplate is arcuate in cross section,

valve is provided tion and-the ports 12 being inclined in the y head'.rFliese last mentioned'ports are als'oarranged at an anglecorrespondingto the valve ports, with which they register so astd provide for aperfect registration of the ports as the. valves rotate. 7, as well asthe seam 11,`are provided with lengthwise extending grooves, whichextend some distance on each side of the valve ports, but not: farenough' to connect said ports, be similarly grooved, if desired. Thesegrooves serve to facilitate l'ubrication, fin that they hold thelubricant andthe grooves in the seats also presentv a more perfectbearing surface for the valve, inasmuch as particles ofv carbon Theseats 6 and or other foreign matter will iind their way i i into saidgrooves and saidI` will thi/ls not' and seat.

foreign matter be retainedv between the -valve A cap 18 is secured thecylinder head 3 and'incl'oses the chambers 4 and 5 and be and the valvecool.

Vet

` walls of the valve chamber.

20, preferably formed of metal which mayv be corrugated, if desired, tomake more elastlc, and the portions of the cap 18, opposite the chambersl and 5 are hollowed out, so as td leave spaces 15, 15, between therespective diaphragins and cap opposite the re' spective cylinders i and5. The partition 2l, .separating the chambers el and 5 has a fluidpassageway 22, communicating at one cud with the interior of thecylinder and at its other end.- dividing and communicating with eachv ofthe spaces 15, 15 above the diaphragins21. 21 and compression is thusadmitted through the passageway 22 and passageways 23, into the spaces15,15. The diaphragins 20, 2O have studs 2l secured thereto which dependtherefrom and rest against the. pressure plate underneath. As is ob-,vious from an inspection of Fig. 1, each pressure plate will be heldagainst its valve by its corresponding stud 24. It is obvious that thepressure above the diaphragins 20, 20 may be regulated, as desired, sothat as the pressure vthe cylinder increases, the downward piiessure onthe pressure plates will increase to a Vcorresponding degree, so thatthe valve will beheld firmly against its `seat at-they times of greatestpressure and at other tliiies the pressure of the valve against its seatwill be lighter, thus cbriating' any unnecessary wear on the valve.lnterposed between the lower end of each stud 24 and its correspondingpressure plate is a flat arcuate spring or other resilient nieinber (W,which is of suliicient strength to nornlally hold thevalve seated butshouldany large foreign body become interposed between the valve andseat will permit the valve to rise and thus avoid injury thereto andpermit the foreign body to pass 'troni the valve seat. f

The pressure plate has ports, such as to register with the ports in thevalves and which lead out, as shown in Fig. 2,. and coinmunicate withthe ports such as'"26 in the Each pressure plate is cast hollow and isprovided with one cr more nipplesueh as 22 which is passedthrough theend oi.: the cylinder head and threaded into the end of thc pressureplate and through this nipple water may be introduced, and circulatedinto the` interior of theprsure Plate, so as to lree-p the saine Theorilice in the end plate' through which the lnipple 'is oblongvertically, so as to perinit said nipple to have a certain amount olverticalplay. as the pressure plate moves up and down. Ad: justingscrews, asi-BO, are threaded through 'the cap 18, and their ,lower endscontact against the upper' endsf offsaid studs Eftand by means of thesevScrews the play of the studs and the corresponding diaphragm may belimited and the vibration of the diaphragin reduced to a minimun duringthe suction stroke and fluctuations in pressure in the cylinder.Suitable bearings 3l and are provided which are carried by bearingplates, one secured to each end of the cylinder head. @ne end o eachvalve is attached to a shaft whichextends through the bearing and aworm. gear wheel i'sslidably mounted upon, but keyed to the outer end ofsaid shaft and. said gear wheel is inclosed by a suitable easing 55.Rotation is imparted to the valve through this gear wheel by anysuitable mechansrn, not

. shown,y in operative connection with the engine. A cylindrical bloeitStiy rotates in, the

hearing 3l anda plunger 3T passes axially through this block and isthreaded into the adjacent end of the valve and the block is 'keyed tov'the valve so that they rotate to gether. l

The bearings 31 and 32 are enlarged vertic-ally,I or oblong, so as toallow a certain amount of vertical play to the shaft 33 and block 3G topermit the rising of the valve from its seat as hereinbefore explained.

The bearing 31 is provided lwith a plug; 39, which carries an inwardlyextending stud llt), whose inner end has aroller 41, which operates inthe groove l2 in the periphery ot the. block 36.. This groove iscani-shaped and as the valve rotates causes an endwise motion thereofand the shape of the'grroove such that when the valve portsy begin toopen or close, a. sudden endwise thrust is iinparted to the valve, whichin combination with the rotary movement of the valve causes a quickopening and closing, but when the ports register, the groove is soshaped that there will be very little or no endwise mot-ion to thevalve, thus prolonging a. full port opeirine,` and igxroyiding 'freerexhaust and intake. The passageway is provided with a valve 48, by meansoflj'hwhich said passageway may be controlled and the pressure above thediaphragme icgulai'eil.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated anoil duct l--L through. which alubricant niay be adniitted to the valve seat.

lt should further be noted that the inclination of the ports causes theedges lot" the registering ports to meet with a shea rin g eiicct andthe particles of4 carbon which, a't the moment of closing, engagebetween said edges, will b'eQeasier cutaway, thus. preveniiue thewearing of said edges.

lilhat l claiinfia 1. ln a deviceof. the character described,

thcconibination withan internal combustion engine cylinder,4 or" a headsecured to said cylinder, said`r head having a cylindricalchamber(attending transversely relative to the engine cylinder, av hollowrotary valve in said chaunber, opposing ports in the valve lli) aliaseswall, said ports having a corresponding inclinationto the axis ofrotation, a corresponding port communicating with the interior of thecylinder and arranged to register with the 'valve port as the valverotates, said cylinder ports having a corresponding inclination to thevalve ports, means for rotzzting the valve and means for imparting alengthwise movement tothe valve While said ports are registering.

2. ina device of the character described, a valve chamber, a hollow1rotary valve therein, provided with ports inclined to the axis otrotation, an internal combustion engine cylinder to which the valvechamber is secured, inlets thereto arranged to register with the valveports and having a corresponding inclination, a seat in the chamberwherein said valve rotates, and means for 'rotating' the valve.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with aninternal combustion engine cylinder, of a head for said cylinder,said-head having a cylindrical valve chamber arranged adjacent thecylinder, a port 'through which saidcylinder and chainber communicate, ahollow rotary valve in said chamber being'provided with opposing ports,said vvalve ports and cylinder port being arranged to registerand havinga cor responding"inclinationr to the' axis ont valve rotation, a .means-or rotating the valve and a mechanism in operative connection 'with thevalve and imparting a lengthwise thrust thereto at the time of theregistration of a valve port and the cylinder port.

l. ln a device of the character described, a valve seat, a rotary valveseated thereon and provided with ports inclined to the axis of rotation,said seat being also provided with ports, Which register with the valveports and have a corresponding inclination to that of said valve ports.

5. In a device of the character described, a valve seat, a rotary valveseated thereon and provided with ports inclined te the axis of rotation,said seat being also providedl with ports, which register With the valveports and have a. corresponding inclination to that of said valve ports,means for ro tating the valve and a mechanism in operative connectionWith the valve and impart ing a lengthwise thrust thereto during theregistration of said ports n `(i. In a device ot the characterdescribed, a valve chamber, a rotary valve therein, a seat in thechamber wherein said valve ro tartes, a pressure plate operating againstthe valve and holding said valve against its seat, a diaphragm operatingagainst said pressure plate and means for varying the pneumatic pressureon opposite sides of said diaphragm.

hln a device or' the character described, a valve chamber, a rotaryvalve therein, a seat vvhereon said valve rotates, a diaphragm spanningsaid chamber, a means tor introducing pneumatic pressure on the side ofsaid diaphragm opposite the valve whereby said diaphragm is held inresistance against said valve.

8. In 'a device of the character described, a vaive chamber, a rotaryvalve therein, a seat in the chamber -ivherein said valve rotates, adiaphragm operating in resistance against the valve and holding thesaine yieldingly against vthe seat. f

9. In a device of the character described,

a valve chamber, a rotary valve therein, a

seat in the chamber wherein said valve ro tates, a diaphragm operatingin resistance against the valve and holding the saine yieldinglyagainstthe seat, and means for limiting the vibration of said diaphragm.

.10. In a device of the character described, a valve seat, a rotaryvalve seated thereon i and provided with ports inclined to the axis ofrotation, said seat being also provided with ports which register' withthe valve ports and have a corresponding inclination to that of saidvalve ports,'means orrotating the valve and a mechanism in operativeconnection with the valve and imparting a lengthwise thrust thereto atthe beginning of the opening and closingof the valve ports. l

ln testimony whereof have signed my naine to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses. `i

rennnaicr' nearer.

